Shivraj Singh Chouhan thanks non-BJP MLAs for supporting Murmu in Prez poll

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday thanked non-BJP MLAs in the state who voted for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Droupadi Murmu in the presidential poll.

He said Murmu, a tribal and former Governor, got votes of MLAs of parties other than the BJP, which heads the NDA, in the state and congratulated her for getting elected to the country's top constitutional post. Murmu scripted history by becoming India's first tribal President in the one-sided contest, defeating Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. Murmu, 64, won by an overwhelming margin against Sinha after receiving over 64 per cent valid votes in a day-long counting of ballots of MPs and MLAs, comprising the electoral college, to succeed Ram Nath Kovind to become the country's 15th president. In the presidential poll, Droupadi Murmu got votes of MLAs other than those of the BJP in the state. I heartily thank MLAs who have voted for Droupadi Murmu as per their conscience, Chouhan said in a tweet in Hindi. Chouhan congratulated Murmu for getting elected as the President. On the occasion of Amrit Mahotsav (75 years) of the country's Independence and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is the nation's fortune that a sister coming from the tribal community was made the Presidential candidate and today she got elected to the nation's highest constitutional post, the CM said in another tweet.